July 2007

Slow Food Los Angeles presents a food and vodka pairing in Beverly Hills this July, followed by one in New York in September. This would be as ludicrous as food and designer water pairings, except the vodka is the Modern Spirits line that includes celery peppercorn and pear lavender flavors. That makes a bit more sense. Labels: events, funny, pairing, vodka
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The Chicago Tribune ran a story on a new drink trend: using chilies in cocktails (free registration required). It includes several Chicago venue recipes, and oddly two different bartenders paired chilies with mango puree. Here in San Francisco, bartenders have favored using chilies on cocktail rims, though I had jalapenos both in a champagne drink and in an orange juice drink as well. I've enjoyed most of the combinations I've had- the only ones I didn't like where were the drink was too hot. Labels: recipes, SanFrancisco, trends
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Here is something I learned yesterday from Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris: whiskey can go bad once the bottle is opened. Before the bottle is opened, it will last indefinitely. Keep it stored upright, but tip it over once a year so the cork gets a touch of wetness. If you're planning on storing it for many years, you should seal the top better by dipping it in wax. (This is specific to Woodford, which is capped with a cork and wood, which are breathable. Some whiskies already have a wax seal.) After the bottle is opened, it will...
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On the House has a nice piece up on How to Host a Kick-Ass Beer Tasting. It is all great advice, geared more towards event organizers than casual party hosters. But I think the advice translates well to wine, whisky, and other tasting events too. Labels: beer, judging
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According to lab rat research, the smoking-cessation drug varenicline may also reduce cravings for alcohol. That's good news for people who can't choose between smoking or drinking for which vice they want to quit. But what would you do with your hands when you went to a bar? Maybe they should invent a pill that you can ingest by smoking or drinking it instead. Labels: funny, news, science
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Most of yesterday's BevMo purchases were relatively uncommon aperitif wines, bitter digestifs, and other ingredients that I'll probably never drink straight except to try initially. One thing I picked up was Torani Amer, which I've been seeing used in some cocktail recipes lately and it was also in this month's great Imbibe Magazine story on vintage cocktail ingredients. Then today I found that coincidentally, the incredible Eric Felton wrote about the product in the weekend's Wall Street Journal, complete with a Basque cocktail recipe. What a lucky coincidence! PICON PUNCH 2½ oz Torani Amer (or Amer Picon) ½ oz grenadine...
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I had plans to hang out today with my friend Vanessa, but we hadn't chosen a specific activity. We were debating going for a hike or buying ingredients to cook up a big dinner, but in the end we didn't do anything nearly that healthy or constructive. Instead we went to BevMo (Beverages and More, an alcohol warehouse store) and spent nearly two hours (and $350) there. I don't really enjoy shopping for clothes or food or being in boutiques or malls, but drop me off in a liquor store and I'm like a 10-year-old in Toys-R-Us. Today it took...
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